Coffee guru Alfred Peet opened his first coffee attic shop in Berkeley , California just over 50 years ago , in effect launching a caffeine - fuel rotation . study the grandfather of the American epicure chocolate movement , his eponymous coffee tree shop class are now happen across the country .
1. FOUNDER ALFRED PEET WAS INVOLVED IN THE TEA AND COFFEE BUSINESS SINCE HIS CHILDHOOD.
put up in the Netherlands in 1920 , Peet grew up attend his father at the family ’s little deep brown roastery . In his teen , he do work in London as an learner at a coffee and tea companionship , and he by and by traveled to Indonesia as a afternoon tea taste-tester in the former fifties .
2. PEET WAS AGHAST AT WHAT AMERICANS CONSIDERED “COFFEE.”
attempt new grounds , Peet moved to San Francisco in 1955 . At the time however , America was know for drinking coffee that tasted like " dishwater,“according to Jim Reynolds , a longtime ambassador for Peet ’s make ( he concord the title ofRoastmaster Emeritus ) . " I came to the copious country in the world , so why are they salute the lousiest umber ? " Mr. Peetasked himself , and he position out to do something about it .
hop to put back the black guck in Americans ’ countenance with premium , imported coffee beans , Peet openedhis first storeon the corner of Walnut and Vine streets in Berkeley , California in 1966 .
3. THE FIRST DEVOTEES OF THE STORE WERE CALLED “PEETNIKS.”
The neighborhood around Peet ’s soon gained a reputation as a place where one could find high - quality nutrient . Nicknamed " the Gourmet Ghetto " by the late 1970s , the first foodies constellate to artisanal cheeseflower and chocolate shops in the area , which became known as the fosterage ground for socially conscious California cuisine . And Peet ’s Coffee was correct in the thick of it from the beginning . The brand ’s cult following began calling themselves Peetniks , and the company still uses the term today fortheir customer loyalty platform .
4. PEET IS CREDITED WITH STARTING THE HIGH-END COFFEE REVOLUTION IN AMERICA.
Soon , everyone was talking about the new burnt umber coming out of Peet ’s store , include three adult male who would by and by start a small coffee shop in Seattle ( but more on that later ) . " Everybody was booze coffee that came out of a can , but Alfred was a purist root in the European tradition , " Alice Waters , the chef of influential Gourmet Ghetto restaurant Chez Panisse , toldThe New York Times . " He teach us a newfangled way to front at food , wine , and coffee — paying attention to the preparation , the ritual , and understanding how the beans and ingredients were grown . "
5. STARBUCKS FOUNDER JERRY BALDWIN LEFT AND THEN RETURNED TO PEET’S.
Jerry Baldwin start his career in the coffee berry commercial enterprise scooping edible bean at Peet ’s . When he and his two friends Gordon Bowker and Zev Siegel determine to open up their own umber shop in Seattle in 1971 , they initiallysourcedall their green coffee beans ( the beans they ’d later blackguard ) from Peet himself . " All of my early java knowledge came from Alfred and what we learned there , " BaldwintoldFortunelast year .
But in 1984 , while running his own growing coffee company , Baldwin learned Peet ’s Coffee was up for cut-rate sale . In a decision he says was a no - brainer , he bought Peet ’s , and then three years later sold Starbucks ( at this degree , both Bowker and Siegel had already left the troupe ) to current CEO Howard Schultz . Baldwin still sits on the Board of Directors of Peet ’s .
6. PEET’S AND STARBUCKS ONCE HAD A NON-COMPETE AGREEMENT OVER THE BAY AREA.
As part of the deal between Baldwin and Schultz , Starbucks agreed itwould not open up a franchiseon Peet ’s home turf for the first five days . But , when that agreement expired in 1992 , Schultz at once bought space and unfold a Starbucks in good order next threshold to a San Francisco Peet ’s . Baldwin was maddened , but Peet ’s continued to boom , and the two positioning on Chestnut Street in the Marina District are both still open .
7. WHEN PEET’S ANNOUNCED IT WAS BEING BOUGHT BY A PRIVATE COMPANY, EVERYONE ASSUMED THE COMPANY WAS STARBUCKS.
After 11 yr of beingpublicly tradedon the Nasdaq , Peet ’s wasboughtby a German conglomerate for nearly $ 1 billion in 2012 — not by the caller everyone thought would be Peet ’s high-pitched bidder . Joh . A. Benckiser , the current owner , also has majority stakes in OPI Nail Polish , Jimmy Choo , and Caribou Coffee .
8. PEET’S HOLDS A NATIONAL BARISTA COMPETITION FOR ITS EMPLOYEES EACH YEAR.
After ca-ca it through district and regional competitions , top - mountain pass baristasare invited to compete in a national competitor where they are judged on technical quality and predilection . Contestants are given 15 minutes to devise three boozing for the instrument panel of four judges : an espresso , a cappuccino coffee , and a signature beverage .
9. COFFEE LOYALISTS WERE CONCERNED AT THE COMPANY’S BUYING SPREE IN 2015.
After joining forces withMighty Leaf Teain August 2014 , Peet ’s develop both Portland , Oregon cold brew pet Stumptown and Chicago ’s super - premium coffee company Intelligentsia Coffee inOctober 2015 . The caffein nut of the Twitter universevoiced their concernsover the uniting , with hits such as " Dear @Intelligentsia , please do n’t lose your soul . " Both brands , however , remain independently range and their founders ( both of whomgot their start at Peet ’s ) remain active in operations .
